A self-branding project.

September 14, 2016

To start off; I don't normally post about my personal life, thoughts or problems. These are things that I choose to keep to myself. But this time, I wanted to share a little more about what I've been up to with design.

From the very beginning, I've been a designer with a preconceived idea of what I'm supposed to be. Maybe it's the result of growing up in the backyard of the Silicon Valley, or in the shadow of a very talented designer brother, but I've spent my life trying to follow the minimalist guide, always admiring the grayscale, sans-serif, tech-inspired aesthetic. My friends can tell you: I absolutely love minimalism. It's embedded in my life, from my closet full of colorless clothing to my walls adorned with black boards and geometric shapes. I once tried to ask my dad to buy me a mauve iPhone case, and he replied, "No you don't like pink. I got you the black one." Case in point: I've made myself to be a minimalist fanatic. But deep down, if I'm really honest, it's always felt a little off. Somehow, every project I did became the opposite of what I intended, my portfolio littered with bright yellow packages and lime green websites. This internal conflict of design bothered me, and it turned into a huge creative block. I couldn't come to terms with my work, and I always ended up hating everything I made for no real reason other than feeling like it was just not "me". I felt like I had no distinct style or direction, and it was crippling.

This past summer, I interned at a creative agency. I worked directly in creating new brands and enforcing old ones. The projects and processes I experienced really changed what I knew about branding design, and this revelation brought me to rethink and rebrand myself as a designer. I stopped thinking about which existing mold I wanted so badly to fit into and what my designs were supposed to look like, and I started thinking about why I really really loved making stuff (lol cheese). I became aware of how I've been trying to design things that I thought people expected out of me, and it always fell short. And now I realized that I just love making fun stuff, and I love being able to convey accurate and specific emotions (my own, included) through design. Focusing on that is hard, but so important.

I figured out what was most important to me in my design process and aesthetic: I am a bright and positive person, yet I believe in straight-forwarded and clear design, so this brand is my own mix of happy minimalism. I made myself a logo, picked some colors that I found myself really drawn to, and I'm happy with it right now. It's not an exhaustive restructuring and rigid guide for my life, but rather something to keep me organized and on track, and it reminds me of why I truly, whole-heartedly love design. ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ

If you feel like it, let me know what you think of this, if not that's cool too no obligations you know live your life~ but seriously, if you've taken the time to visit my page and read all this, thank you so much! I appreciate you.

Summary: it's a constant work-in-progress. But it feels good to be back :)